| Cuba these days is a rather fashionable tourist | | | | is on thing, but where is best to mix with real |
| destination. Tourists head out there, looking to enjoy | | | | Cubans? The answer would be checking out some of |
| the beaches, the wonderful weather, the diving and | | | | the local bars. The most famous of these is of |
| the salsa. And while all of these provide wonderful | | | | course Floridita bar, which was a home away from |
| diversions for Cuba holiday makers, they are also | | | | home for the great Earnest Hemmingway. If you're |
| often entirely artificial, created purely for the tourist | | | | looking to fit in with the locals, and not stand out as |
| market that invariably laps it up. For some, this is not | | | | a common Cuba holiday maker, a Dauquiri (rum, |
| enough, but with the tourist industry largely built on | | | | lemon juice, sugar and maraschino) or Mohito (rum, |
| these foundations, where can you find the real Cuba | | | | ice and mint) will help, as well as show you why Cuba |
| on your holidays? | | | | is renowned for its fine rums. |
| The answer surprisingly lies in the nation's capital, | | | | While this will give you a good insight into how Cuban |
| Havana. Though it is a popular tourist area, the real | | | | locals live, there's more to the island than just the |
| Cuba lies in its narrow side streets and dusky alleys. | | | | human population. If you are in search of exotic |
| The city's history dates back as far as 1515, and if | | | | jungle and a look at the natural beauty of the island, |
| you're really serious about seeing the real country | | | | then the island of Cayo Levisa provides a calm, |
| you will be prepared to forgo the 5 star resorts | | | | aesthetically pleasing retreat. It's a 20 minute boat |
| touted around the internet in favour of a private | | | | ride from the mainland, but the island is home to |
| house or 'particular'. This will give you a real sense of | | | | tropical jungle, sandy beaches and dazzling coral reefs |
| living on the island in a style more in line with the | | | | with exotic marine life. While it's not free of Cuba |
| locals, and has the added bonus of costing no more | | | | holiday makers, this spot gives you an insight into |
| than $20 per day for one in a prime city centre | | | | how the island was before it was populated. |
| position - perfect for the standard Cuba holiday | | | | For a beach virtually untouched by tourism, though |
| sightseeing. | | | | you can't beat Cayo Largo. The 6 hour boat ride puts |
| If you have not been sent running for the Varadero | | | | off the majority of Cuba holiday makers, creating a |
| beaches by the experience, it's time to continue living | | | | peaceful tropical island virtually untouched by tourism. |
| the Cuban life with a lesson in gastronomy - a | | | | The best thing to do here is to enjoy the amazing |
| "paladar" will provide this. Some years ago, citizens of | | | | peaceful scenery and relax away from the strains of |
| Havana won the right to open a restaurant (serving | | | | the working world. |
| no more than 12 people at a time) in their homes, | | | | I've only really scraped the surface here, and the real |
| restricted to serving only chicken and beef dishes. | | | | Cuba will be unique for each visitor, but if you follow |
| Locating one of these will not only give you an insight | | | | my suggestions and feel able to explore beyond the |
| into how Cuban people live in the capital, but will give | | | | standard tourist world, you will discover a way of life |
| you a taste of the real Cuban cuisine rather than the | | | | a million miles away from anything in the UK, with |
| tourist equivalent. | | | | enough anecdotes to last until your next visit to this |
| Being a guest in a Havana citizen's café/home | | | | tropical paradise. |